No giant monster in this mystery

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This article was published 06/03/2016 (3530 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Movies

BIG RELEASES FRIDAY: 10 Cloverfield Lane; The Brothers Grimsby

BIG PICTURE: The former film is kind of like Roseanne, only set in a post-apocalyptic world. John Goodman plays the loony patriarch of a “family” of people living in a bomb shelter. They play board games, watch movies and laugh, but they don’t see much daylight. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Michelle, a car-crash survivor being held in the basement to protect her from the “uninhabitable” world outside. Of course, her quest for the truth endangers them all. (This thriller is semi-related to 2008’s Cloverfield, but producer J.J. Abrams has said the giant creature from the earlier film isn’t in this one.) Meanwhile, The Brothers Grimsby is Borat meets Mission: Impossible, an action-comedy grounded in edgy British humour. Mark Strong plays an elite MI6 agent reunited with his long-lost simpleton brother, Nobby (Sacha Baron Cohen). Rebel Wilson plays scene-stealer as the mother of Nobby’s nine-child brood.

FORECAST: The Grimsby boys will deliver laughs, but Cloverfield Lane is the address for mystery. What horrors await outside the shelter’s door? The island from Lost? A Trump-led America in 2017? A Kanye West-led America in 2021? Buy a ticket and find out.

TV

BIG EVENTS: Damien (Monday, A&E, 9 p.m.); Of Kings and Prophets (Tuesday, ABC, 9 p.m.)

BIG PICTURE: Damien, based on The Omen film series, is about a cute little devil’s spawn and all-around harbinger of doom. In this supernatural drama, the Antichrist is all grown up. Damien Thorn (Bradley James) has conveniently forgotten his pointy-tailed daddy and works as a war photographer — until Hell decides to launch a home-schooling program. Of Kings and Prophets is a sword-and-sandals saga about David, King Saul (Ray Winstone), Goliath and a lion (but no witches or wardrobes). Will an upstart young shepherd upend the powers that be? Absolutely. But expect far more sex scenes than you remember from Sunday school. This historical fantasy is from the co-writers of Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings, but it’s really hoping to cash in on Game of Thrones. Expect wanton sex and slaughter (minus nudity — this is network TV, after all) and lots of bearded alpha males.

FORECAST: Damien will deliver the demons thanks to the fear-factor pedigree of showrunner Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead). In order to ensure it reigns past three episodes, Kings and Prophets will likely have to “reveal” thar biblical Israel is the eighth kingdom of Westeros. David on the Iron Throne? (Call it The New New Testament.)

HONOURABLE MENTION: Flaked (Friday, Netflix, 2:01 a.m.). Finally, Will Arnett chooses the right platform for his dry comedic talents. The Arrested Development star was underused and watered-down in network sitcoms Up All Night and The Millers. Flaked reunites him with Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz. Arnett plays the self-destructive Chip, a chronic liar and former addict who lives among an eccentric cast of characters in Venice, Calif.

Music

BIG RELEASES FRIDAY: 3 Doors Down (Us and the Night); Jeff Buckley (You and I)

BIG PICTURE: 3 Doors Down releases their sixth album of accessible, radio-friendly, mildly derivative rock. They’re like the Nickelback of Mississippi (with apologies to Mississippi). While their album title sounds like a children’s book, it is sure to please DJs and stadium crowds. No warning label required. Lumped in with other post-grunge bands such as Matchbox Twenty and Creed, 3 Doors Down is like rock ‘n’ roll vanilla: nobody truly loves it, but everyone can consume it. Meanwhile, a posthumous collection of raw studio songs emerges from Jeff Buckley. Since his untimely death in 1997, fans have been greeted with live recordings and unfinished material; each release hints at the artist he might have become. This early collection features eight covers (from Dylan to Zeppelin) and one original. Hallelujah.

FORECAST: You and I is worth the investment. Not too sure about Us.

HONOURABLE MENTION: Steven Page (Heal Thyself Part 1: Instinct). The former Barenaked Lady is still using music as part of the healing process. This time, he has in-studio help from the Odds. The album is co-produced by that band’s frontman, Craig Northey.

Twitter: @chrislackner79